2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD, 2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD Images Review

2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD, 2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD Images Review :

Somehow, this Korean-built Buick micro-crossover is likeable.

Buick’s new Encore sub-micro hatchback/crossover invites a lot of questions. First of all, what is it? Well, it’s an answer to a question asked by buyers in China, where Buick thrives. It shares major mechanical pieces with the Chevrolet Sonic, which might, in the eye of a bigger-is-better American public, cast a pall of cheapness over it. So why is Buick offering America a crossover built in South Korea and based on a bite-sized Chevy?

With that question, the lid on Pandora’s box flips open. Why does anything unexpected happen in the auto industry? Why did the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet ­happen? Why does the BMW 6-series Gran Coupe—a sedan version of a coupe based on another sedan—exist? We can say with certainty only that every brand is looking for new customers, Buick perhaps more desperately than others. Thus, the important question is: Will the Encore bring new buyers to Buick here in America?

The short answer: Yes. The brand has never offered anything like the Encore, and there’s much to like. It’s roomy for four, and its high seating position gives drivers a nice view of the road ahead. It can be fuel efficient, with an EPA rating of 25 mpg city/33 highway for front-wheel-drive models. (All-wheel-drive Encores are rated for a slightly less impressive 23/30 mpg.) The front-suspension struts and a torsion-beam rear axle are tuned to supply a Germanic discipline to the ride and excellent isolation from the road surface’s various failings. The electric power steering is unexpectedly proficient, being quick, weighty, and linear.

Specifications:

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front- or 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon PRICE AS TESTED (FWD/AWD):$31,530 (base price: $24,950) / $32,230 (base price: $26,450) ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection Displacement: 83 cu in, 1364 cc Power: 138 hp @ 4900 rpm Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 1850 rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 100.6 in Length: 168.5 in Width: 69.9 in Height: 65.3 in Curb weight (FWD/AWD): 3250 / 3370 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS (FWD/AWD): Zero to 60 mph: 9.3 sec / 10.0 sec Zero to 100 mph: 34.5 sec / 37.8 sec Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 10.1 sec / 10.5 sec Standing ¼-mile: 17.1 sec @ 80 mph / 17.6 sec @ 79 mph Top speed (drag limited): 116 mph / 116 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 175 ft / 165 ft Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g / N/A FUEL ECONOMY (FWD/AWD): EPA city/highway: 25/33 mpg / 23/30 mpg C/D observed: 24 mpg / 24 mpg

View Image Gallery

2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD 2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD Images Review, Cars review. cars review24, 2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD crossover SUV CUV family vehicle test review auto news automotive magazine car reviews car ratings car news auto reviews new cars